King James his letter and directions to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury concerning preaching and preachers with the Bishop of Canterburies letter to the Bishop of Lincolne, Lord Keeper, desiring him to put in practise the Kings desires that none should preach but in a religious forme : and not that every young man should take to himselfe an exorbitant liberty to preach what he listeth to the offence of His Majesty and the disturbance and disquiet of the church and common-wealth.

The Arch-Bishop of Canterburies Letter, to the Arch-bishop of Yorke.

MY very good Lord,

I doubt not, but before this time, you have received from mee the Dire∣ctions of his most excellent Majesty, concer∣ning Preaching and Preachers, which are so graciously set downe, that no godly or discreet man can otherwise then acknowledge, that they doe much tend to edification, if hee doe not take them up upon report, but doe punctually consider the tenure of the words as they lye, and doe not give an ill construction to that, which may receive a faire interpretation. Notwithstanding, because some few Churchmen, and many of the people, have si∣nisterly conceived as wee here find, that those instructions doe tend to the restraint of the exercise of preaching, and doe in some sort abate the number of Sermons and so con∣sequently, by degrees doe make a breach to ignorance and superstition; His Majesty in his Princely wisedome, hath thought fit, that I should advertise your Lordship of the grave and weighty reasons, which induced his Highnesse to prescribe that which is done.

You are therefore to know, that his Majesty being much troubled and grieved at the heart, to heare every day of so many defections from our Religion, both to Po∣pery

and Anabaptisme, or other points of Seperation in some parts of this Kingdome; and considering with much admiration; what might bee the cause thereof, especially in the Raigne of such a King, who doth so constantly professe himselfe an open Adversary to the Superstition of the one, and madnesse of the other; his Princely wisedome could fall upon no one greater probability, then the lightnesse, affectednesse, and unprofitablenesse of that kind of preach∣ing, which hath beene of late yeares too much taken up in Court, Vniversity, City, and Countrey.

The usuall scope of very many Preachers, is noted to bee soringe up in points of Divinty, too deepe for the cap••∣city of the people, or a mustring up of much reading, or a displaying of their owne wit, or an ignorant medling with civill matters, as well in the private of severall Parishes and Corporations, as in the publike of the Kingdome; or a venting of their owne distast, or a smoothing up of those idle fancies, which in this blessed time of so long a peace, doe boile in the braines of an unadvised people, or lastly, a rude or undecent rayling not against the Doctrines (which when the Text shall occasion the same, is not onely im∣proved, but much commended by his Royall Majesty;) but against the Persons of Papists and Puritans. Now the people bred up with this kind of teaching, and never in∣structed in the Catechisme and fundamentall grounds of Religion, are for all this Ayry nourishment, no better then (abrajae tabulae;) new table bookes ready to bee filled up, either with the Manuals and Catechismes of the Popish Priests, or the Papers and Pamphlets of Anabaptists, Brow∣nists, and Puritans.

His Majesty therefore calling to mind the saying of Tertullian, (Id verum quod primum;) and remembring, with what Doctrine the Church of England in her first and most happy Reformation, did drive out the one, and keepe out the other from poisoning and infecting the peo∣ple of this Kingdome: doth find that the whole scope of this Doctrine, is contained in the articles of Religion, the

two bookes of Homilies, the lesser and the greater Ca∣techisme, which his Majesty doth recommend againe in these Directions as the Theames and proper Subjects of all sound and edifying preaching.

And so farre are these Directions from abating, that his Majesty doth expect at our hands, that it should increase the number of Sermons by renuing upon every Sunday in the afternone in all Parish Churches throughout the King∣dome, that Primitive, and most profitable exposition of the Catechisme, where with the people, (yea) very Chil∣dren may bee timely seasoned and instructed in all the heads of Christian Religion, the which kind of teaching (to our amendment bee it spoken,) is more diligently ob∣served in all the reformed Churches of Europe, then of late it hath beene here in England. I find his Majesty much moved with this neglect, and resolved; (if wee that are his Bishops, doe not see a Reformation hereof, which I trust wee shall) to recommend it to care of the Civill Magistrate. So farre is his Highnesse from giving the least discouragement to sollide preaching, or discreet, or reli∣gious Preachers.

To all this, I am to adde, that it is his Majesties Prince∣ly pleasure, that both the former Directions, and those rea∣sons of the same, bee fairely written in every Registers of∣fice; to the end, that every Preacher of what denomina∣tion soever, may if hee bee so pleased take out Coppies of either of them with his owne hand (gratis;) paying no∣thing in the name of fee and expedition. But if hee doe use the paines of the Register, or his Clarkes, then to pay some moderate fee, to bee pronounced in open Court by the Chancellours and Commissaries of the place, taking the direction and approbation of my Lords, the Bishops. Last∣ly, that from hence forward a course may bee taken, that every Parson, Vicar, Curate, or Lecturer, doe make exhi∣bite of these his Majesties Directions, and the reasons for the same at the ensuing visitation of the Bishops and Arch-Deacons,

paying to the Register by way of fee, but two pence at the time of the exhibite; and so wishing, but with∣all, in his Majesties name, requiring your Lordship to have a speciall and extraordinary care of the premisses. I leave you to the Almighty.

From Croyden, Sept. 4. 1622.

Your Lordships very loving Brother, G. CANT.